The present invention relates to a method of calculating the writable number of data onto a data recording medium and a recording medium, more particularly, to a method of calculating the number of frames allowable to be shot by a digital still camera and a digital still camera to which such system is applied.
With the rapid popularization of the computer system in recent years, especially of the personal computers, demands for various peripheral apparatuses have been expanded. Above all, as a peripheral apparatus for intake of photographs into the personal computer, instead of the indirect intake procedure using a film scanner, flat bed scanner, or the like of taking in the photographs taken on a conventional film based on silver chloride system, there is noted with attention a digital still camera with which the photo-shot image can be directly taken in as digital data.
Now, in the conventional digital still camera, the image signal of one frame portion shot with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) which is an image pickup device is converted to digital form and stored straight in a bit map format. Accordingly, the number of frames that can be photo-shot has not been so large. In recent years, however, there has been schemed to increase the number of frames which can be photographed in the compressed data in various data compressing method. Especially, the JPEG (Joint Photograph Experts Group) system which has been standardized in recent years has been developed for compressing the high precision still photographic data for computer system in high efficiency, which has also been utilized as the image file format for CD-ROM contents and Internet application.
Accordingly, in the field of the digital still camera, storage of the photo-shot image data not in the conventional simple bitmap format but in the JPEG format as described above is convenient, because the number of frames which can be stored in a digital still camera can be increased. In view of such a situation, there have been brought into practical use the digital still cameras designed to compress the photo-shot image data by JPEG format and store, but in such a case new problems occur.
In case of recording and storing the data of the photographed image in a data recording medium in the digital still camera by the conventional simple bitmap format, the data quantity is constant, and therefore the remaining number of shots can be easily obtained by dividing the data quantity of the unused region of the data recording medium by the data quantity of the bitmap data for one frame. However, in case of storing the image data by compression by JPEG format in the data recording medium in the digital still camera, the data after compression become the variable length data, so that there is a problem that the remaining number of frames allowable to be taken cannot be accurately calculated.
Different from the ordinary camera for which a silver salt system film is used, the digital still camera is usable to take shots in different resolutions frame by frame. However, because when the resolution is different the data quantity is naturally different, calculation of the remaining number of frames allowable to be shot is made more difficult. Furthermore, in the digital still camera, different from the conventional camera for which a film is used, a constitution to make the voice recording possible at the same time can be easily adopted. In case such a constitution is taken, voice data recording is also necessitated, which involves the greater difficulty in calculating the remaining number of frames allowable to be shot. However, it is the essential information for the user to grasp how many remaining shots can be taken, and accordingly it is a question never to be neglected for the manufacturer.
The present invention has been made in reflection of the situation as reviewed above. Concretely, it has an object to provide a method for calculating the number of the remaining frames allowable to be shot in case of recording and storing in the data recording medium in the digital still camera in compressing the image data of different data quantities shot in various resolutions in a digital still camera by a compression method in which the data after compression become the variable length data; a digital still camera to which above method is applied; and further, the calculating method per se; and a recording medium in which such computer program is recorded.
The method for calculating the writable number of data whose maximum data quantity is no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length onto a data recording medium of the present invention, comprises the steps of: counting the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium; obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity; obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of data already written onto the data recording medium from the first value; counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; comparing the second value with the third value; and making the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the writable number of the data onto the data recording medium.
According to such calculating method of the present invention, in writing the data whose maximum data quantity is no more than the predetermined quantity of the variable length onto the data recording medium, the number of the data written onto the data recording medium is counted, the first value obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity is obtained; the second value is obtained by subtracting the number of data written onto the data recording medium from the first value; the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted; the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; the second value is compared with the third value; and as a result, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the writable number of the data onto the data recording medium.
A method for calculating the writable number of plural kinds of data whose respective maximum data quantities differ from each other and are no more than the predetermined quantities of variable length onto a data recording medium of the present invention, comprises the steps of: counting the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium on the respective ones of the plural kinds of data; obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of data out of the plural kinds; obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of data already written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of the predetermined kind of data from the first value; counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of data; comparing the second value with the third value; and making the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the writable number of the data onto the data recording medium.
According to such method of the present invention, in writing a plurality of kinds of data whose respective maximum quantities differ from each other and are no more than the predetermined quantity of variable length onto the data recording medium, the number of the data written onto the data recording medium is counted on the respective data of plural kinds, the first value is obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of data out of the plural kinds; the second value is obtained by subtracting the number of data written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of the data of the predetermined kind from the first value; the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted; the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of data; the second value is compared with the third value; and as a result, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the number of the writable data onto the data recording medium.
The abovementioned method of the present invention, further comprises a step of converting the smaller value out of the second value and the third value according to the respective maximum data quantities of the plural kinds of data into the writable number of data onto the data recording medium.
According to such calculating method of the invention, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is converted according to the respective maximum data quantities of the plural kinds of data and is obtained as the number of writable data onto the data recording medium.
A method for calculating the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot of a digital still camera which holds the photo-shot images by writing the image data having the maximum data quantity of one frame is a variable length of no more than the predetermined quantity onto a data recording medium of the present invention, comprises the steps of: counting the number of frames of the data already written onto the data recording medium; obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity; obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium; counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; comparing the second value with the third value; and making the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to such method for calculating the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot in the digital still camera of the present invention, in storing the photo-shot images by writing onto the data recording medium an image data whose maximum data quantity of one frame is no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length, the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium is counted; the first value is obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity; the second value is obtained by subtracting the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium from the first value; the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted; the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; the second value is compared with the third value; and as a result the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
A method for calculating the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot of a digital still camera which holds the photo-shot image by writing plural kinds of the image data having the respectively different maximum data quantity of one frame with a variable length of no more than the predetermined quantity onto the data recording medium of the present invention, comprises the steps of: counting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium on the respective ones of the plural kinds of image data; obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of image data out of plural kinds; obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of image data from the first value; counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of image data; comparing the second value with the third value; and making the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to such method for calculating the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot in the digital still camera of the present invention, in writing onto the data recording medium plural kinds of image data whose maximum data quantity of one frame is respectively different and are no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length, the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium is counted on the respective ones of the plural kinds of image data; the first value is obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds out of the plural kinds of data; the second value is obtained by subtracting the value of the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of frames of the predetermined kind of image data from the first value; the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted; the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; the second value is compared with the third value; and as a result the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
The abovementioned method of the present invention further comprises a step of converting the smaller value out of the second value and the third value according to the respective maximum data quantities of the plural kinds of image data into the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to such method of the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot with the digital still camera of the invention, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is converted according to the respective maximum data quantities of the plural kinds of image data and is obtained as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
The digital still camera of the present invention, comprises: image pickup means for picking up an image and generating the image data for one frame having a constant data quantity; image data compressing means for compressing the image data of one frame generated by the image pickup means by a predetermined method and converting into the compressed image data having the maximum data quantity of no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length; data recording medium for storing the compressed image data converted by the image data compressing means; counting means for counting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium, and counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; operating means for obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity, obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium from the first value, obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, and comparing the second value with the third value; and displaying means for displaying the smaller value of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the counting means counts the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium and the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; the operating means obtains the first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity, obtains the second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium from the first value, obtains the third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, and compares the second value with the third value; and displaying means displays the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
A digital still camera of the present invention, comprises: image pickup means for picking up an image and generating the plural kinds of image data each having different constant data quantity for one frame; image data compressing means for compressing the image data of one frame formed by the image pickup means by a predetermined method and converting into the compressed image data having the maximum data quantity, being different by the respective image data of plural kinds, of no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length; data recording medium for storing the compressed image data already converted by the image data compressing means; counting means for counting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium on the respective image data of plural kinds, and counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; operating means for obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of image data out of plural kinds, obtaining a second value by subtracting the value obtained by converting the number of frames of the image data already written onto the data recording medium into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of the image data from the first value, obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of image data, and comparing the second value with the third value; and displaying means for displaying the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
In such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the counting means counts the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium on the plural kinds of respective image data and the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; the operating means obtains the first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of image data out of plural kinds, obtains the second value by subtracting the value obtained by converting the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of image data from the first value, obtains the third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of image data, and compares the second value with the third value; and displaying means displays the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
Furthermore, the digital still camera as abovementioned of the present invention, wherein the displaying means converts the smaller value out of the comparison results by the operating means according to the respective maximum data quantity of the plural kinds of image data, and displays as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
In such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the displaying means displays the smaller value based on the results of comparison by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot, by converting according to the respective maximum data quantity of plural kinds of image data.
The digital still camera of the present invention, comprises: image pickup means for picking up an image and generating the image data for one frame having a constant data quantity; image data compressing means for compressing the image data of one frame generated by the image pickup means by a predetermined method and converting into the compressed image data having the maximum data quantity of no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length; voice data generating means for generating the voice data of a constant data quantity by taking in the voice for the predetermined time at picking up images of the image data by the image pickup means; data recording medium for storing the compressed image data converted by the image data compressing means and the voice data generated by the voice data generating means; counting means for counting the number of frames of the image data and the number of voice data written onto the data recording medium, and counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; operating means for obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity, obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data and the number of the voice data, which is converted into the number of frames of the image data, already written onto the data recording medium from the first value, obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, and comparing the second value with the third value; and displaying means for displaying the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to the digital still camera of the present invention as above, the counting means counts the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium and the number of the voice data and the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; the operating means obtains the first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity, obtains the second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium and the number of the voice data converted to the number of frames of the image data from the first value, obtains the third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, and compares the second value with the third value; and displaying means displays the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
Furthermore, the digital still camera as mentioned above of the present invention, wherein the displaying means divides the smaller value out of the comparison results by the operating means by the value obtained by adding xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d to the voice data converted at a predetermined rate into the number of frames of the image data, and displays as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
In such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the displaying means divides the smaller value out of the comparison results by the operating means by the value obtained by adding xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d to the voice data converted at a predetermined rate into the number of frames of the image data, and displays as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
A digital still camera of the present invention, comprises: image pickup means for picking up an image and generating the plural kinds of image data each having different constant data quantity for one frame; image data compressing means for compressing the image data of one frame formed by the image pickup means by a predetermined method and converting into the compressed image data having the maximum data quantity, being different by the respective image data of plural kinds, of no more than the predetermined quantity of a variable length; voice data generating means for generating the voice data of a constant data quantity by taking in the voice for the predetermined time at picking up images of the image data by the image pickup means; data recording medium for storing the compressed image data converted by the image data compressing means and the voice data generated by the voice data generating means; counting means for counting the number of frames of the image data on the respective ones of plural kinds and the number of voice data already written onto the data recording medium, and counting the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; operating means for obtaining a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of the image data out of the plural kinds, obtaining a second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data and the number of the voice data, which is converted into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of the image data, already written onto the data recording medium from the first value, obtaining a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of the image data, and comparing the second value with the third value; and displaying means for displaying the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
According to such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the counting means counts the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium and the number of the voice data and the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; the operating means obtains the first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity, obtains the second value by subtracting the number of frames of the image data written onto the data recording medium and the number of the voice data converted into the number of frames of the image data from the first value, obtains the third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, and compares the second value with the third value; and displaying means displays the smaller value out of the comparison result by the operating means as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
Furthermore, the digital still camera as mentioned above of the present invention, wherein the displaying means divides the smaller value out of the comparison results by the operating means by the value obtained by adding the value of the voice data converted at a predetermined rate into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of image data and the value of the plural kinds of the image data converted respectively at predetermined rates into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of the image data, and displays as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
In such digital still camera of the present invention as above, the displaying means divides the smaller value out of the comparison results by the operating means by the value of the voice data converted at a predetermined rate into the number of frames of the predetermined kinds of image data and the value of the plural kinds of the image data converted respectively into the predetermined kinds of the number of frames of the image data, and displays as the number of frames allowable to be photo-shot.
Furthermore, the computer memory product readable by a computer to calculate the writable number of data having the maximum data quantity of no more than the predetermined quantity of variable length onto a data recording medium, the computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing the computer to count the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a second value by subtracting the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium from the first value; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to count the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to compare the second value with the third value; and computer readable program code means for causing the computer to make the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the writable number of data onto the data recording medium.
In such computer memory product of the invention as above, in case the step code means recorded therein are read and loaded in the computer such as a personal computer or a digital camera, the number of the data written onto the data recording medium is counted, the first value is obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium is possible by the maximum data quantity, the second value is obtained by subtracting the number of data written onto the data recording medium from the first value, the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted, the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity, the second value is compared with the third value, and as a result, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the number of data allowable to be written onto the data recording medium.
Furthermore, the computer memory product readable by a computer to calculate the writable number of plural kinds of data whose respective maximum data quantities differ from each other and are no more than the predetermined quantities of variable length onto a data recording medium of the present invention, the computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing the computer to count the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium on the respective ones of the plural kinds of data; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a first value by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of data out of the plural kinds; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a second value by subtracting the number of the data already written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of the predetermined kind of data from the first value; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to count the unused data capacity of the data recording medium; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to obtain a third value by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kind of data; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to compare the second value with the third value; and computer readable program code means for causing the computer to make the smaller value out of the second value and the third value the writable number of the data onto the data recording medium.
In such computer memory product of the invention as above, in case the step code means recorded therein are read and loaded in the computer such as a personal computer or a digital camera, the number of the data written onto the data recording medium is counted on the respective ones of the plural kinds of data, the first value is obtained by dividing the whole data capacity of the data recording medium onto which the data can be written by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds of data out of the plural kinds, the second value is obtained by subtracting the number of data written onto the data recording medium converted into the number of the data of the predetermined kinds from the first value, the unused data capacity of the data recording medium is counted, the third value is obtained by dividing the unused data capacity of the data recording medium by the maximum data quantity of the predetermined kinds, the second value is compared with the third value, and as a result, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is obtained as the number of data allowable to be written onto the data recording medium.
The computer memory product of the present invention as above mentioned, further comprises a computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert the smaller value out of the second value and the third value according to the respective maximum data quantities of the plural kinds of data into writable number of data onto the data recording medium.
In such computer memory product of the present invention as described above, the smaller value out of the second value and the third value is converted according to the respective maximum data quantity of plural kinds and obtained as the number of data allowable to be written onto the data recording medium.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.